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"Mindanao is almost—forgive the poor religious pun—the new Mecca for terrorism."
JOSEPH MUSSOMELI, U.S. embassy chargé d'affaires in the Philippines, on the growth of militant activity in the country's largely Muslim southern island

"I do think the North Koreans have been, frankly, a little bit disappointed that people are not jumping up and down and running around with their hair on fire."
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. Secretary of State, on the muted global reaction to North Korea's latest nuclear weapons disclosures and its pullout from multilateral disarmament talks

"He's a quintessential kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy."
CARL FORD JR., former U.S. State Department intelligence chief, testifying in Senate hearings about the management style of John Bolton, nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

"We don't really have an exit strategy. We have a victory strategy."
DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. Secretary of Defense, speaking to American troops while on a trip to Iraq last week

"We don't have a policy aimed at drawing American tourists. We don't give them visas easily."
HOSSEIN MARACHI, Iran's vice president for tourism, explaining why U.S. travelers won't be targeted in a forthcoming international advertising campaign to improve Iran's neglected tourist industry

"We are not putting him on a diet ... we're teaching him moderation."
ROSEMARIE TRUGLIO, vice president of research and education for children's television staple Sesame Street, on news that the show's snack-obsessed Cookie Monster will now tell viewers "a cookie is a sometimes food" in light of rising levels of obesity among U.S. children